Man claims Hougang supermarket 'deliberately' sold expired meat, operator says it has reinforced protocols

A shopper browsing the aisles of a Prime Supermarket outlet in Hougang apparently found meat products two days past their expiry date still on the shelf. 

Taking to Facebook page Complaint Singapore on Jan 22, the shopper surnamed Ho said the use-by date for a pack of marinated meat had been supposedly obscured by a sticker label. 

A photo he shared showed the price tag on a pack of meat slightly peeled back to reveal that the expiry date was Jan 19. 

Ho told local media he took the photo on the evening of Jan 21 at Hougang Street 11. 

In his Facebook post, he claimed that the expiry date of other products on sale were similarly concealed. 

"All three 'reduced to clear' packages on the shelf had the same issue, with their expiry dates deliberately covered by stickers which appears to not be accidental," Ho wrote. 

He urged shoppers to check the expiry dates of items before purchase. 

Prime Supermarket told AsiaOne that its priority for markdown items is to "clear all stock prior to expiry and remove items from shelves in accordance with food safety requirements". 

It also said food safety protocols have been reinforced with staff to ensure full compliance with necessary precautions and measures. 

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it had investigated and inspected the outlet. 

The agency did not find any expired food products being sold at the time of the inspection. 

"The operator acknowledged that it failed to remove some expired items on a previous occasion and has strengthened processes to prevent this from happening again," added SFA. 

The supermarket operator has been instructed to ensure that no prepacked food products are sold after the stated expiry date, and that expiry dates are clearly shown on the packaging. 

SFA advised consumers to carefully check food products, including expiry date markings and any signs of spoilage, before purchase and consumption. 

Members of the public can report any concerns about food safety practices by food operators online. 

"SFA takes a serious view towards food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices," it stated. 

"As part of the enquiry and gathering of evidence, SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained," the agency added.  

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com